- Refer to File for bankruptcy against another party if you wish to make someone else a bankrupt.
- Refer to Respond to a bankruptcy application if you have received a notice about an application made against you.
Who can be declared a bankrupt
You must meet both of these criteria to be declared a bankrupt:
- You owe a debt of $15,000 or more and are unable to repay the amount.
- You satisfy at least one of the following conditions (1)
- You are domiciled in Singapore. This means you treat Singapore as your permanent home.
- You have property in Singapore.
- You have, at any time within the period of 1 year immediately before the date of the application, been ordinarily resident or has had a place of residence in Singapore.
- You have, at any time within the period of 1 year immediately before the date of the application, carried on business in Singapore.
File for bankruptcy for yourself step-by-step
This is the process to make yourself a bankrupt. You are the debtor. The party to whom you owe money is the creditor.
You are filing a debtor's bankruptcy application.
Understand what bankruptcy means
Consider the consequences of and alternatives to bankruptcy before you proceed.
File an application
Find out the documents, fees and process to file an application for a bankruptcy order.
Attend court
You must attend a court hearing where a registrar will hear the case and make a decision. This may be a bankruptcy order or other orders.
Appeal, if needed
In some cases, you may file an appeal against a decision by the court.
Resources
- The Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act, particularly Parts 13 to 22.
- The Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution (Personal Insolvency) Rules.
- The Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution (Debt Repayment Scheme) Regulations.
- The Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution (Voluntary Arrangements) Regulations.
Related questions
Yes. If you want to file a debtor's bankruptcy application against your firm, all of the following criteria must apply:
- Your firm must be unable to repay debts of $15,000 or more.
- At least one of the partners in the firm fulfils at least one of the following criteria:
- Is domiciled in Singapore. (This means they treat Singapore as their permanent home.
- Has property in Singapore.
- Has, at any time within the period of 1 year immediately before the date of the application, been ordinarily resident or has had a place of residence in Singapore.
- The firm has, at any time within the period of 1 year immediately before the date of the application, carried on business in Singapore.
- The application is made against the firm and all partners of the firm.
Note: A firm and a company are different legal entities. For information on insolvency cases for companies, find out more about company winding up.
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